Course Title: Power System Engineering
Course No: EE-3113
Course teacher
Nibir Mondol
Assistant Professor
ESE Department, KUET.
Objective of Switchgear and protection
[Link] introduce students to power system protection and switchgear.
2. To teach students theory and applications of the main components used in power system protection for
electric machines, transformers, bus bars, overhead and underground feeders.
3. To teach students the theory, construction, applications of main types Circuit breakers, Relays for protection
of generators, transformers and protection of feeders from over- voltages and other hazards. It emphasis on
neutral grounding for overall protection
4. To develop an ability and skill to design the feasible protection systems needed for each main part of a power
system in students.
Syllabus of Circuit breakers ,fuse ,Relay.
Introduction to Switchgear ,
Circuit Breakers’ Types, Ratings, Constructions, And Selections.
Arc Extinction, Recovery Voltage.
Constructions, Characteristics, And Applications Of
Commercially Available Fuses.
Types, Construction, Operating Principle Of Over Current
Relays.
Lightning Arrestors, Surge Absorbers,
Ground Wire, Generators Grounding.
Reference Books
[Link] of Power System- [Link] and Rohit Mehta .
[Link] Related Document ,Internet, Journel, Paper Etc
Course Plan
Class No Course Title Related Books
6th Switchgear, Essential Features of Switchgear, Switchgear Chapter 16 ,387 page
Equipment, Bus-Bar Arrangements, Switchgear Accommodation, Principles of Power System-
Short-Circuit, Short-Circuit Currents, Faults in a Power System. [Link] and Rohit Mehta .
7th Circuit Breakers, Circuit Breakers’ Types, Ratings, Constructions, Chapter 19 ,460page
And Selections. Arc Extinction, Recovery Voltage. Principles of Power System-
[Link] and Rohit Mehta .
8th Constructions, Characteristics, And Applications Of Commercially Chapter 20,Principles of
Available Fuses. Types, Construction of Fuses Power System- [Link] and
Rohit Mehta .
Switchgear
The importance of electric supply in everyday life has reached such a stage that it is desirable to protect
the power system from harm during fault conditions and to ensure maximum continuity of supply. For this
purpose, means must be provided to switch on or off generators, transmission lines, distributors and other
equipment under both normal and abnormal conditions.
• The apparatus used for switching, controlling and protecting the electrical circuits and
equipment is known as switchgear.
• The switchgear equipment is essentially concerned with switching and interrupting currents either under
normal or abnormal operating conditions. The tumbler switch with ordinary fuse is the simplest form of
switchgear and is used to control and protect lights and other equipment in homes, offices etc.
Function of Switchgear:
• It protects the equipment from short-circuits & fault currents.
• This device gives isolation to the circuits from power supplies.
• It increases the availability of the system by allowing more than one source to feed a load.
• It can open & close the electrical circuits under the conditions of normal & abnormal.
• In normal conditions, it can operate manually so it ensures the safety of the operator & also proper
electrical energy utilization.
• In abnormal conditions, it operates mechanically. Once a fault happens this device detects the fault &
detaches the damaged part in the power system. So it protects the power system from damage.
Essential Features of Switchgear
• (i) Complete reliability.
• (ii) Absolutely certain discrimination.
• (iii) Quick operation.
• (iv) Provision for manual control.
• (v) Provision for instruments.
Switchgear Equipment
The term switchgear may refer to different systems and components. Switchgear
examples include the following:
• Switches
(i) Air-break switch. (ii) Isolator or disconnecting switch. (iii) Oil switches.
• Fuses
• Isolators
• Relays
• Circuit Breakers
• Lightning Arresters
Switches.
Circuit breakers
Fuses
Relay
Bus-Bar
When a number of generators or feeders operating at the same voltage have to be directly connected
electrically, bus-bars are used as the common electrical component. Bus-bars are copper rods or thin
walled tubes and operate at constant voltage. We shall discuss some important bus-bars arrangements
used for power stations and sub-stations.
Busbars are easy to install, don’t need trays and they are cost effective especially when the ratings
and distances increase.
However, in some arrangements of busbars, it requires extra protection which make the system
expensive and the reliability of the system is badly effected when any of the bars are faulted.
[Link] Bus-bar System.
(2) Single bus-bar system with Sectionalisation.
(3)Duplicate bus-bar system.
Factors of selecting bus bars:
• Position of the bars (Horizontal or Vertical)
• The current that busbar shall curry in normal operation.
• The rated short circuit withstand current that busbar shall withstand in
fault condition.
• The rated peak withstand current that busbars shall withstand in case of
lightning.
• The temperature of the atmosphere and the head dissipation of each
component connected to the busbars.
• The Ingress Protection or the IP of the switchgear of the panel board
containing the busbars.
• The number of sections or bundles per phase.
[Link] Bus-bar System.
(2) Single bus-bar system with
Sectionalisation.
3)Duplicate bus-bar system.
Types of Switchgear(Basis of location)/ Accommodation
There are two types of Switchgear:
[Link] type
[Link] type
Outdoor type:
For voltages beyond 66kV, switchgear Equipment installation is done outdoor. Because for such
high voltages, the clearance between conductors and the equipment's such as switches, circuit
breakers, transformers and other equipment is large. A sufficient gap should be there between
conductors and other switchgear equipment's.
[Link] type
For voltages below 66kV, Indoor type switchgear are install due to economic considerations. It is a
metal clad type in which all live parts are completely enclose in an earthed metal casing.
Short-Circuit
• Whenever a fault occurs on a network such that a large current flows
in one or more phases, a short circuit is said to have occurred.
When a short circuit occurs, a heavy current called short circuit current
flows through the circuit.
Causes of short-circuit.
i) Internal effects
Internal effects are caused by breakdown of equipment or transmission lines, from
deterioration of insulation in a generator, transformer etc. Such troubles may be due
to ageing of insulation, inadequate design or improper installation.
(ii) External effects
External effects causing short circuit include insulation failure due to lightning
surges, overloading of equipment causing excessive heating; mechanical damage by
public etc.
Effects of short-circuit.
When a short-circuit occurs, the current in the system increases to an abnormally high value while
the system voltage decreases to a low value.
• (i) The heavy current due to short-circuit causes excessive heating which may result in fire or
explosion. Sometimes short-circuit takes the form of an arc and causes considerable damage to the
system. For example, an arc on a transmission line not cleared quickly will burn the conductor
severely causing it to break, resulting in a long time interruption of the line.
• (ii) The low voltage created by the fault has a very harmful effect on the service rendered by the
power system. If the voltage remains low for even a few seconds, the consumers’ motors may be
shut down and generators on the power system may become unstable. Due to above detrimental
effects of short-circuit, it is desirable and necessary to disconnect the faulty section and restore
normal voltage and current conditions as quickly as possible.
Short-Circuit Currents
(i) A short-circuit on the power system is cleared by a circuit breaker or a fuse. It is
necessary, therefore, to know the maximum possible values of short-circuit current so that
switchgear of suitable rating may be installed to interrupt them.
(ii) The magnitude of short-circuit current determines the setting and sometimes the types and
location of protective system.
(iii) The magnitude of short-circuit current determines the size of the protective reactors which
must be inserted in the system so that the circuit breaker is able to withstand the fault current.
(iv) The calculation of short-circuit currents enables us to make proper selection of the
associated apparatus (e.g. bus-bars, current transformers etc.) so that they can withstand the
forces that arise due to the occurrence of short circuits.
Faults in a Power System
A fault occurs when two or more conductors that normally operate with a potential difference come
in contact with each other. These faults may be caused by sudden failure of a piece of equipment,
accidental damage or short-circuit to overhead lines or by insulation failure resulting from lightning
surges.
[Link] faults
2. Unsymmetrical faults
(i) Symmetrical faults: That fault which gives rise to symmetrical fault currents (i.e. equal faults
currents with 120o displacement) is called a symmetrical fault. The most common example of
symmetrical fault is when all the three conductors of a 3-phase line are brought together
simultaneously into a short-circuit condition.
(ii) Unsymmetrical faults: Those faults which give rise to unsymmetrical currents (i.e. unequal line
currents with unequal displacement)